Rules of Engagement
by steshin
Summary: A prequel series to "The Longest Battle". Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.
1. Prologue

Title: Rules of Engagement  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier.  
Summary: A prequel series to _**The Longest Battle.**_ Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.  
Notes: See profile page for the status of the other _ongoing_ stories.

* * *

**Prologue**

In the commemoration party of Frontier's victory in claiming the Vajra planet, a silent Alto stood beside Luca near the punch table. Luca was busy in the process of pouring himself another drink to notice the growing smile of Alto upon sighting a certain songstress making her grand entrance in fashionable tardiness. Like in the old war movies, especially the ones in the twentieth century, where one military man singles out the woman who was destined to share his future, turns to his buddy and says "_See that girl over there? I'm going to marry her"_, Alto turned to Luca.

"Luca," he smirked, motioning his head to where his songstress was chattering with Ranka and her biological brother (who wasn't really doing much talking). "See that girl over there?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to marry her."

Luca blinked, astonishment highlighted in his childlike face.

"Err…Alto-sempai, I don't think Captain Ozma would appreciate you stealing Miss Cathy from him."

Taken aback, Alto followed Luca's gaze and found Cathy Glass standing in their plain view while effectively blocking Sheryl and her chitchat group.

He groaned.

"Not Miss Cathy! The one _behind_ her."

Luca's mouth formed an "O" as he watched Cathy Glass drift off to join the Bridge Bunnies, revealing the trio composed of two green-haired siblings and one strawberry-blonde songstress, one thing all three had in common was being used once or twice by an evil psychotic scientist slash manager.

"Oh! I get it now, sempai!" Luca's eyes gleamed with understanding. Alto closed his eyes in satisfaction—then snapped open when his shouta friend happily added, "So you were really holding a torch for Ranka-san all along, huh, Alto-sempai?"

"_No!_ It's Sheryl, you idiot! _She-ri-ru_." The blue-haired pilot corrected through clenched teeth.

Luca frowned, "You could have just told me from the beginning, you know."

"Isn't it _obvious_ that it would be _Sheryl_ I would want to marry?"

"Well sorry, sempai. It was always rather vague when it came to which girl you liked the most."

Alto glared, "What do you think I am? Some wishy-washy male lead of some love-triangle anime?"

"Well"—

"Don't answer that. In any case, I'm going to ask Sheryl to marry me and that's that." He said, refilling his cup. He drank to cool off his vexation.

It was some time later when Luca spoke again and when Alto managed to find his calm again.

"...Sheryl is a terrific woman, Alto-sempai."

Alto smiled in agreement, ready to take another sip from his drink when...

"So how are you going to ask her to marry you?"


	2. First attempt

Title: Rules of Engagement  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier.  
Summary: A prequel to _**The Longest Battle.**_ Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.

* * *

"_This_ is breakfast?" Sheryl Nome stared at the box of cereal and carton of milk in disbelief. Alto settled into his chair, shrugging indifferently, "I felt lazy."

"But you always make fancy meals! Your cooking makes up for your lack of fashion sense."

Alto ignored the light barb as he reached for the folded newspaper on the table and opened it. "Like I said, I felt lazy."

As he pretended to read a random section, he could picture the pout on Sheryl's face as she scraped back her chair and sat, all while muttering something about coldhearted princesses who didn't care a whit of a fairy's need for proper nourishment.

The newspaper effectively shielded Alto's smile as he listened to the jingle of cornflakes pouring into a bowl and the drowning of it with milk. He sucked his breath in anticipation. Any moment now, she was going to find the _prize_ in the cereal box. He waited for her reaction.

…

Five minutes later, he was still waiting.

Annoyed, he placed the paper down to see what the hell was taking so long. Sheryl was contentedly chewing on her soggy cereal while regarding his sudden attention with a curious stare.

He looked down at her bowl to find it nearly empty— and no ring in sight!

Before thinking, he grabbed the box and poured more flakes into her bowl, much to her surprise.

"Alto?"

"Have some more."

"But I'm already"—

"I said _have some more_…." He seethed. The tone in his voice killed any further protests from Sheryl. With a frown, Sheryl poured more milk into her unwanted second bowl of cereal.

In less than a few minutes, she finished it.

Alto was not happy.

He gave her another round of sugar-frosted cornflakes.

"Now, wait a second, Alto! I've already had enough!"

"I care for your nutrition."

"What am I? A kid?!"

"It's already in your bowl, you might as well eat."

"_You_ eat it then!"

Sometime, after a lot bickering, he managed to get her compliance in the end. So there she sat, going through her third bowl in frustration. Once in a while, she looked up to throw a glare at him.

Alto didn't care. Because once she'd find the ring, she would immediately forget her anger.

Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case as Sheryl finished her third bowl, with no indication of having found a sparkly piece of jewelry. She leaned back in her chair, patting her tummy with a quiet groan.

"I'm full…"

His patience snapped.

He was reaching out for the box again when Sheryl, aware of his intention, slammed her hands onto the table with enough force to have it wobbling.

"I've had enough already!"

"But"—

"Enough!"

"But Sheryl, it's"—

"I said _enough_."

…

…

"You still have some milk left in your"—

Sheryl pushed back her chair, got up and stomped away furiously from the kitchen, leaving a trail of French expletives in her wake.

Alto sat there, blinking and utterly confused at how things went. Sheryl was _supposed_ to find the ring he had earlier slipped into the breakfast cereal— and then he'd spring the question.

Sighing heavily at his failure, he reached for the box, nearly empty, and dumped some flakes into his own bowl.

The bright diamond ring dropped into his bowl with a clink.

…

Alto cursed.


	3. Second attempt

Title: Rules of Engagement  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier.  
Summary: A prequel to _**The Longest Battle.**_ Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.

* * *

Alto inspected the wings of his paper plane and smiled to himself. Unlike his breakfast proposal failure, this was bound to work. He looked down from the top of the small hill he was standing on and down to the Galactic Fairy who was down on her knees, collecting wild flowers an humming a tune of hers.

He took one last look at his paper creation, the words '_Marry Me_' emblazoned on the wings. He took a deep breath before cupping his free hand to his mouth.

"_Oi, Sheryl!_"

Hearing her name, the woman looked up to the man standing on the mount of the hill.

"_What?!_"

Alto gulped down his nervousness and steadied himself, that and trying to ignore the drumming of his heart. She was standing up now and brushing off petals and grass from her skirt. This was it. Despite the cool wind, Alto felt sweat trickling down his back. Sheryl watched him from below, looking curious and annoyed at the same time.

He mentally counted to three and then…

"Catch!"

With a flick of his wrist, he sent his plane flying into the playing breeze. His eyes followed the paper craft as it headed straight for his target. Sheryl giggled with childlike glee as she stood on her tiptoes, raising both arms to reach for the incoming plane. Alto held his breath in anticipation.

Just when Sheryl was about to grab his proposal, something from the air swooped down and grabbed it.

"Sheryl-san! Alto-kun!"

A bubbling young girl from an opposite hill came ambling down towards Sheryl with a jovial sprint.

"Ah, Ranka-chan." Sheryl beamed, completely forgetting about Alto's paper airplane.

"Sheryl-san, it's great to see you! It was such a nice day today, so I came out here with Ai-kun."

"Ai-kun?"

Sheryl looked up, just in time to see it rain shredded paper.

"_Ah!_ Ai-kun! What"—

"Don't worry, Ranka-chan. It's just one of Alto's stupid paper airplanes."

"Oh, okay!" She looked over to where Alto was— and frowned.

"Sheryl-san, why is Alto-kun cursing and stomping on the ground like a madman?"

"Hmm…must be a bug or something."


	4. Third attempt

Title: Rules of Engagement  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier.  
Summary: A prequel to _**The Longest Battle.**_ Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.

* * *

"Sheryl…will you marry me?"

"_Kyaa!_ Oh, Alto! Of course I will!"

...

...

...

"What?"

"Luca, this is just _wrong_!"

...

...

...

...

"…is it the wig?"

"It's everything!"

"I'm helping you rehearse your proposal, aren't I?!" Luca remarked, a bit offended, as he fluffed up the sausage curls of his blonde wig.

"Just imagine I'm Sheryl-san and you'll have this in the bag."

Alto squinted his eyes at the shouta, trying to visualize Sheryl in his place…that proved to be quite impossible. He sighed, slapping his forehead with grief. "No offense, Luca…but nothing about you can make me imagine Sheryl."

He had originally wanted to seek out Klan or Ranka for help—but then thought of how embarrassing it would be, so he opted for Luca instead. And although he did appreciate the effort his friend was making, this wasn't really helping him.

_If only Michel were here…_Alto thought, _he'd know what to do._

"Alto-sempai, you're doing this for Sheryl-san, aren't you?"

"Well…yeah, of course…"

"And you're also doing this for yourself, right?"

"Of course!"

"Well then, suck it up! Now, be a man and ask me to marry you!" That said, Luca gave his curls one more fluffing before immersing in the role of Sheryl.

"Alto, was there something you wanted to say to me?" he cooed in a girly voice (that didn't really need much effort) while batting his eyelashes at him.

Alto had to hand it to Luca, he may not be the best performer but his determination in the role was something…but he was still no Sheryl.

"…Sorry, Luca."

Luca sighed, "it's okay, sempai. I can understand."

Alto started pacing in front of Luca, who took a seat on his bunk, swinging his legs as he watched his sempai.

"How the hell am I gonna do this?" Alto grumbled, searching for answers in his head.

"Well, sempai, how did you confess to Sheryl-san?"

"I said I'd stay with her forever and then I"—luckily, he stopped himself in time from spilling the rest of what took place in the Saotome household, color heightening his face.

Luca blinked in anticipation, "…then you what, sempai?"

"Y-You don't need to know!"

Luca let that slide—for now.

"Is there anything else besides that?"

"Hmm…well…"

"Yeah?"

"I did make a confession to her using a flying analogy before the final battle with the Vajra…"

"Then that's perfect! You can propose to her with another analogy, she'll find that very poetic and romantic."

"You think so?"

Luca briskly nodded with smiling eyes, "Go for it, sempai!"

Alto smiled and patted Luca on the head. The patted friend was still wearing the blonde curls and his sudden burst of enthusiasm really made him look like a girl, which was both creepy and funny.

Alto let out a chuckle, "You know Luca, you'd make a _really_ pretty girl."

"Hey, Captain Ozma!" The shouta waved over to the doorway behind Alto.

Alto stiffened…then slowly turned around to face his superior, whose face was cleverly masked from emotions with eyes trained on Alto, specifically the hand that was perched and frozen on top of Luca's golden head.

"C-Captain Ozma—I, umm—don't get this wrong! I was—I was just"—

"I don't even want to know." Ozma turned away in disgust, the door closing with a swoosh.

* * *

"_Sheryl_…"

The woman dropped down the magazine she was reading to find Alto standing in front of her with a very serious face.

"_Ara_, Alto, what is it?" She gave the empty side of the couch beside her a hearty thump, inviting him to sit over.

He chose, however, to remain standing.

"Sheryl," he said.

Sheryl tilted her head in curiosity.

"Yes, Alto?"

There was a pause as he took a deep breath before he began.

"A bird flies out into the sky, but always comes home to his nest…only there with his mate can he find rest. I want you to know that—_No_. I need you to know that."

...

Alto watched the stunned expression on Sheryl's face and smirked to himself. _She understands,_ he thought. He felt great to know that only Sheryl could understand his words and feelings than any other person (besides his mother). Alto waited in anticipation, listening to the heavy drumming of his heart.

Finally, Sheryl's face relaxed and softened up to him with a smile.

"Alto…this is so surprising…but _wonderful!_"

Alto's smile tilted up even more, hearing this. With half-lidded eyes, he whispered.

"I don't know what to say…"

"You secretly watch the bird channel like I do!"

...

"It has recently become a guilty pleasure of mine. Birds are really something. I was afraid you'd laugh at me if I told you."

...

"I'm so glad! I'm sure people would find it silly—but not you, Alto! You like it, too."

...

"What's the matter? I'm right, aren't I?"

...

...

...

...

Sigh.

"Yes. You're absolutely right…"


	5. Fourth attempt

Title: Rules of Engagement  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier or anything related to the Macross franchise.  
Summary: A prequel to _**The Longest Battle.**_ Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.

* * *

"Alto, I'm not really crazy about this huge crowd, especially when I'm _not_ the cause for it." Sheryl complained as they made their way through their seats with snacks and drinks. They were at an open roof stadium, where hundreds of people lined the rows to buzz in on the big air-show that Alto kept talking about for days .

"It'll be fun," Alto assured Sheryl, who didn't look a bit convinced. "Who knows, you might _surprisingly_ love it."

Sheryl scoffed, "with all that salesman talk you've been giving me for some time, it better be true. I missed out a big fashion show at Formo featuring the latest off the hot European runways for this." At that reminding thought, she took a big bite from her chili dog with an angry chomp. Watching her, Alto wasn't bothered by her lack of enthusiasm in the slightest. After all, his main objective was to propose to her and nothing else (…then again, catching the air-show was an awesome win-win combo too).

A few minutes later, a fanfare of trumpets blared from the speakers. Alto sat up straighter, which was not missed by Sheryl.

"Geez Alto, don't get an orgasm over this." She mocked, taking a noisy sip from her soda drink.

The opening act was an acrobatic air stunt routine, similar to what Alto, Luca and Michel used to do for promotions and concerts. The crowds oohed and aahed as the flyers showcased their skills, zooming off in synchronized twists and turns while leaving a trail of color. Even Sheryl shut up, drawn in by their performance and Alto, upon seeing this, lit up with a smile.

This was perfect.

"Alto, look!" Sheryl tugged at his shirt, as she noticed something.

"They look like they're writing something out."

Alto did his best to sound oblivious in spite of the excitement building up in him.

"It would seem so."

"I wonder what it could be." Sheryl murmured curiously, taking another noisy sip from her drink.

Alto could not help himself from saying, "let's hope you don't spit out your drink when you find out."

"_Eh?_ Why would I? Oh never mind! Look!"

Alto grinned, watching his proposal scheme unfold on the sky.

Sheryl began pronouncing the letters of what was written.

"S—H—E"—

He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the moment.

"_Awww_~ That's so sweet. Shelby, will you marry me?"

…

…

…

…

What. The. Hell.

Disbelief flooded Alto as he looked up to see what was written and found that it was exactly as Sheryl had said and not what he had wanted to see up there. It was like— a giant typo in the sky!

Alto was…absolutely…_speechless_.

He sat there, wide-eyed and gaping like an idiot trying to catch flies with his mouth.

Suddenly, there was a loud female shriek that sounded like it came from the opposite of where they were seated. The cameras zoomed in on the source of the commotion, viewed on the large stadium screen. A woman was crying and smiling while hugging the arm of the man beside her.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh, Derek, yes! **Yes!** I will marry you!"

Applause and cheers for the now-engaged couple followed after.

"Isn't that cute, Alto?" Sheryl leaned her head on the shoulder of a still-stupefied Alto. "A sky-written proposal. Now, that's what I call _romantic_."

…

"Hmm? Alto, what's the matter with you?" She waved a hand in front of Alto that did nothing to get his attention. " You look like you've seen a ghost."

…

"In fact," Sheryl squinted her eyes to the scene in the large screen, "you have the same look as the guy who just proposed."


	6. Fifth attempt

Title: Rules of Engagement  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier or anything related to the Macross franchise.  
Summary: A prequel to _**The Longest Battle.**_ Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.

* * *

"There's a word to describe you," Saotome Ranzou spoke with a glare, "it's called _pathetic_."

The insulted party replied with a growl while the middle man between father and son covered his lower face with his sleeve to hide his laughter. They were all seated (traditional-style) in the meeting room of the Saotome house, snacks and tea before them.

"You know, _in my days_, it was a simple task to get engaged and married." Ranzou paused for a sip of his relaxing tea. "And _only you_ can make such a simple thing become a complicated mess. Honestly, where did I go wrong in raising you?"

_When you made me act and dress like a girl, that's where!_ Thought Alto, who was fighting a strong urge to roll his eyes at his father's comments.

"You really are a hopeless son."

"Now wait just a minute!" snarled Alto. "You have no right to say that. Besides, you and mom had an _arranged marriage_, you had it easy— unlike me!"

The old man scoffed at that. "You should be thankful for that, else you wouldn't even be here."

Yasaburo helped himself to some rice sweets, watching the conversation unfold before him like a big-screen movie in 4D.

"Damn it, I don't know why I even bothered coming here!" Alto seethed, "did you just want me over because you missed insulting me or something?" He pushed his untouched tea aside and made a move to get up. Ranzou quickly held his hand up, gesturing him to sit back down.

"I called you over," Ranzou explained, "because I want to help you."

Alto snorted.

"I don't really know much about this Sheryl woman, other than the fact that she's a singer and that she took up a short residence here. Since I wasn't in good health back then, I couldn't talk to her personally."

_Thank God you didn't, you old badger._ Alto thought. You _would probably have acted like an overbearing boar!_

"Oh, but I did find out that a she spent _a certain night_ with _a certain someone_ in that said _certain someone's_ mother's room."

…

…

…

…

"How"—?

"The walls have ears, boy."

Alto immediately turned to Yasaburo, red-faced with anger and embarrassment.

"_**You!**_"

"The tea is really good, Alto." The sneaky spying closed-eyed weasel spoke, "you should drink yours before it gets cold." He sipped his tea calmly while smiling innocently, the air around him holding a smug aura.

Before Alto could let his brother-figure have it, Ranzou was already sharing in his 'wisdom' for Alto's predicament.

"It's all about simplicity really. That and appealing to something she knows or is familiar with."

Alto frowned, "I don't follow you."

"And I don't _follow_ how you could have been top of the class when you're this hopeless." Alto's annoyed father shot back. Heaving a sigh, he continued, "I'll make this easy for you. Now, this Nome girl, she's what…part Russian…?"

"French," Yasaburo the right-hand man and informant corrected without batting an eye….literally. Were his eyelids glued shut or something, Alto wondered, how did he walk without bumping into anything?

"Okay, French. So you have to take in account _her culture_. You get it?"

…

…

"So…I propose in French?"

"Idiot! That's not what I mean!"

"Well, stop beating around the bush and just tell me straight already!"

"You propose in _her way_!" An exasperated Ranzou roared at his thickheaded son. "Getting down on one knee—or something like that!"

"Or take her to the top of the Eiffel tower…and profess your love and desire to be with her forever…_ooh lala~_" Yasaburo murmured softly, as if in a trancelike state.

…

…

Alto switched his eyes away from the dazed man to his father with a questioning 'is-he-high-on-something' look.

Ranzou's only best answer was a shrug.

* * *

"This is ridiculous!"

"Quit complaining and start already!"

"I need _practice_ on how to get down on one knee? _Really_, dad?"

"Don't get smart with me, boy! I cancelled today's lessons just for us to use this practice room. Now get to it!"

"But Yasaburo playing Sheryl—is that necessary?"

"_Alto, you idiot_," Yasaburo scoffed in a creepily-convincing female voice. What's worse was that he actually spoke in the same manner and tone as Sheryl would. "_Quit wasting my time. I have a busy schedule to get back to. I'm a pro after all. Say what you want and be done already._"

…

…

"I—I can't do this! This is creepier than Luca in the wig!"

Ranzou's patience finally snapped.

"That's it! I'm getting my stick!"

* * *

"Prop up your knee more!"

_Whack!_

"Stiffen that leg!"

_Whack!_

"Straighten your back!"

_Whack!_

"Speak louder!"

_Whack!_

"I said stiffen that leg!"

_Whack!_

"Raise that arm higher!"

_Whack!_

"Too high!"

_Whack!_

"Put more fluidity in that hand!"

_Whack!_

"Your fingers should be graceful!"

_Whack!_

"We won't stop until you get it right!"

_Whack! Whack! Whack!_

_

* * *

_

_Later that evening…_

"It was so nice of your father to have us eat dinner here." Sheryl said as she spread out her napkin over her lap. "It's also nice to dress formally once in a while too." The singer was referring to Alto wearing a tuxedo, which was a _very_ rare sight to see.

It was a gorgeous restaurant, from elegant crystal chandeliers hanging down the high painted ceilings to the beautiful pearl-like luster of the tiles. Even the fabulous moldings on the walls were a work of art. "Your father is really something, isn't he?"

Alto agreed. But no doubt her '_something_' of his father was completely different from what he had in mind. His body was still sore and hurting from this afternoon's brutal session. However, he quickly pushed those thoughts away as he focused on the woman in front of him. Tonight was going to be night. He could feel it in the glowing romantic atmosphere around him.

His optimism grew as the evening went it's course. The food was excellent and the wine was perfect. Though he was careful to make sure Sheryl didn't have more than one glass.  
There would be no point in proposing to a drunk woman after all.

Finally the right moment had arrived.

Sheryl was gazing at him contently as soft melodic music played from somewhere.

"This is lovely, isn't it Alto?" She covered his hand with hers.

"In fact, I can't _possibly_ imagine what could make this night even more wonderful than it already is."

It was like a cue from heaven.

"Sheryl…"

"Yes, Alto?"

He stood up, scraping his chair back.

Sheryl regarded him curiously.

He approached her side, not saying anything.

"Alto?"

This was it.

Inhaling air for courage, he prepared himself for the moment that would change their lives forever.

"Sheryl…I"—

He knelt down to the position he had been beaten up to master.

Then…

There was silence.

…

…

…

…

"Umm…Alto?"

…

…

…

…

"My legs…cramps…pain…hell…can't…move…help…"

He fell down sideways like a toppled bottle.

"_Alto!_"

* * *

From an unnoticeable distance, Saotome Ranzou lowered his binoculars, looking anything but happy.

"_Hmph!_ Well, that didn't go well!"


	7. Sixth attempt

Title: Rules of Engagement  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier or anything related to the Macross franchise.  
Summary: A prequel to _**The Longest Battle.**_ Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.

* * *

At this point in the proposal game, Alto knew he had to go out and seek someone who could lend a guiding hand. Someone who was mature and understanding, as well as being able to relate to the female mind. On that note…that _someone_ would be even _more_ immensely helpful if that person was an actual female—and not some cracked up guy pretending to be one (he shuddered, remembering Luca and Yasaburo).

He pondered for a lengthy while until it dawned on him.

_Klan!_

* * *

"Wow, Alto…" The little Meltran's voice was dripping with sarcasm, "quite a problem you got there."  
She ignored his glare and took a thirsty sip from her tropical milkshake.

"And here I thought I could count on you." Alto hissed, suddenly doubting his person of choice for his problem. What annoyed him even more was the fact that Alto was the one who generously told Klan to order anything she wanted in the restaurant of their agreed meeting and that it would on him. He looked down to the plentiful spread of desserts and sandwiches on their table, proof of Klan's abuse and greed towards his kindness.

"Well, it's true." Klan spoke, all while eyeing the plates of snacks before her, unsure of which one to devour first. "There are lots of ways to propose. You just have to be creative."

Alto twitched. "You _think_ I haven't tried that?"

"You've been going at this the wrong way," she stated, taking a bite off her burger, "—as evidenced by your multiple failures."

"Really? Is that so? Then, tell me, oh wise and knowing Klan, how should I propose to her then? Enlighten me with your knowledge."

To his surprise, Klan suddenly had a serious look on her face. She set her burger down and motioned the pilot to come closer. Alto leaned in, ears perked with attention.

"There is a certain method of…shall we say, _persuasion_ that you could try." To his noticing interest, Klan suddenly had a look of discomfort etched on her face, and her cheeks boasted red.

"And what kind is that…?" Alto asked unsurely, wondering if he really wanted to hear the answer to that question. The miclone's lips twitched and she started fiddling with some loose strands of her hair. The color on her cheeks filled out the rest of her face. She let out a pitifully fake cough before delivering her input.

"Women, are an emotional bunch…I'm sure you know that."

Alto snorted. "Tell me about it."

"Yeah, now…anyway, in order to get what you want…sometimes, you have to _heighten_ out their emotions and _feelings_ to get a really good…er, _response_ from them. Make them putty in your hands, you know."

Alto tried to follow where the Meltran was getting at, but kept nodding as if understanding every word she said.

"—sometimes, words aren't enough to get your point across, you have to use _actions_. Be strong and _aggressive_. Above all, be _passionate_. Show her how much you _want_ her, get her _so_ worked up that she'll agree to anything you say…are we still on the same page here?"

Alto's best response was a blink. Klan took his silence for agreement and carried on.

"Just remember, if she decides to be stubborn, just work on more _magic_ on her to get her to see your terms. If you play your cards right, you'll be _very _pleased with the results. And getting those results is more than half the _fun_."She winked to emphasize her point, which Alto totally did not get.

Klan grinned, the blush light and faded on her face, as she let out some words of encouragement for her friend.

"Don't worry, Alto! I have no doubt that you'll pull this off."

"Umm…thank you?"

"Oh and as much as possible, avoid getting Sheryl to drink more than three sips of alcohol. You know how she can't hold her cups."

"Err…right."

"You'll get engaged in no time. So good luck."

"I suppose…"

…

…

…

…

…

"What am I _supposed_ to do by the way…?"

…

…

Klan spoke not a thing and her face did not betray what she was about to do next. She grabbed her tall glass with unusual calm—and then threw the remains of it to the stupid pilot's face.

"Ask her in _**bed**_, moron!"

* * *

"Well, you're home early, for once." Sheryl spoke without bothering to face the person that just came in, as it was already obvious who it was. She continued stirring the stew that still needed a few more ingredients.

"Listen, I need some black pepper and we're out, so do you think you could make a quick trip to the store and –_Alto!_ What the hell?"

Alto had come up behind her and turned off the burner without warning.

Annoyed, Sheryl was about to spin around and give him a piece of her mind when she felt a pair of hands on her waist and the brush of soft lips on the side of her neck. The sudden bold action elicited a gasp from the singer, and it almost made her drop her ladle.

"_A-Alto! _What is this, what—?"

Alto cut her off.

"I'll be waiting in bed." He whispered huskily with a warmth of promise that made Sheryl's skin sing. Then, as quickly as he had come in, he released her from his hold and walked off to the direction of their bedroom.

…

…

…

Sheryl followed suit.

* * *

Macronized (and not to mention impossibly _beautiful_), Klan held her helmet under one arm, and used her free one to comb and air out her long mane. If she didn't, she'd have even more tangles to deal with later when she would go freshen up in the shower. Space patrols and exercise drills really did a number on a girl's hair. She was just about done, when she spied a familiar face enter the hangar.

"Alto" Klan called out, her big voice filling the place.

"Klan," Alto ambled his way towards her, a big goofy smile on his face, a telltale sign to Klan that things went exactly as planned. Also, his strangely messy hair was another giveaway. She couldn't help but smirk with pride. Sure, on one hand, it was kind of err.._inappropriate_ to tell her friend to…do something _inappropriate_. But still, she couldn't help but feel satisfaction for helping get two hardheaded people together. Michel would also be proud of her too.

"So, how'd it go?" Klan asked, although the answer was already on the effeminate man's face.

If anything, Alto's smile grew bigger.

"It was…_amazing_. I was—and Sheryl was..and when I…and when she—" he sighed dreamily, "I don't think I can look at strawberry pie the same way again…"

…

…

"_**Ew**_. Don't tell me that. But you know what you _can_ tell me? Say that you got Sheryl to agree to marry you, that you proposed."

Klan waited for this response, giddy with excitement.

Alto still had that stupid trance-like look on his face.

And he still had it when he said,

"_Huh?_ ..._Propose?_"


	8. Seventh attempt

Title: Rules of Engagement  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Macross Frontier or anything related to the Macross franchise.  
Summary: A prequel to _**The Longest Battle.**_ Ten shots where Saotome Alto attempts to propose to Sheryl Nome.  
Author's Notes: Alto/Sheryl is canon!

* * *

"_I just don't understand! H-How could Derek do this to me..? We've only dated for a month…but I thought he loved me…and when he did that romantic proposal in the sky, I thought…we'd be together forever—but then he broke things off with me! __**WHY?**__"_

"_There, there, Shelby, hang in there. The same goes for you viewers at home. More to come with 'Horrible Exes' after these messages. Stay tuned."_

_._

"The nerve of some men!" Exclaimed Sheryl, with the urge to throw the remote at the TV. Then, with a voice loud enough for Alto to hear in the kitchen, said, "That's the problem with _your_ species right there, Alto! Making promises that can't be kept and playing with emotions! That Derek shouldn't have proposed in the first place if he wasn't sure about his feelings. What an asshole!"

_But he really never did intend to propose in the first place_, Alto wanted to answer but didn't. It was already bad enough that he failed with his proposal…err, _proposals. _But knowing that you dragged somebody with you made things worse! That Derek guy was going to be a marked man and hated by women for eternity, and that's way worse than having a horde of Vajra at your doorstep.

Sighing, he focused once more to chopping vegetables when the phone rang. He picked up the receiver from the kitchen wall phone.

"Saotome, here."

"_Ah, Saotome! Is Sheryl there? I can't reach her on her cell. It's me, Elmo_. _I have __**big news!**__"_

"Oh, Elmo. Yeah, she's"—

"_Alto, buzz off! I got this."_

"…here."

Alto promptly hung up, leaving Sheryl to conduct her business call on the phone in the living room. He wasn't the least bit curious what the conversation would be about—because he would hear it, with Sheryl repeating every detail in the loudest voice possible.

"Elmo, Sheryl here. So are the preparations good and done already? Really? That's wonderful! Uh-huh, uh-huh…_**What? **_You got Basara, _**The**_** Basara**, to play the opening number? …What? …An impersonator? Geez, forget him then. I have a reputation here! Blah blah blah blah!"

Alto rolled his eyes, as he started peeling the potatoes, drowning out the noise when something Sheryl said perked his ears.

"…a _**galaxy-wide**_ broadcast? Everyone will see it? Every fleet? Even _**Earth**_? Blah blah blah..!"

And almost instantly, a plan hatched inside Alto's head.

* * *

"But Elmo"—

"I'm sorry, Saotome. That's very romantic of you to want to propose to Sheryl at her concert, but I simply can't squeeze in a last-minute-proposal plan into the schedule. Everything's tight as it is."

"It'll only take about five minutes!"

"And do you know how much a minute costs with the _very expensive_ broadcasting I secured?" Elmo frowned, tapping his foot with impatience. "It's not just Sheryl, but other guest star celebrities, we can't compromise their time as well."

"Well…yeah, but…"

"Look, can't this wait? I have to go over the lights and screen the"—

"Elmo, c'mon! Even just a minute! Half a minute even! I'm begging you."

The manager sighed exasperatedly, "There's just simply no way, Saotome. No way at all…absolutely no way at all! Sorry. Nada! –_unless_…"

"_Unless?_"

"Well, I don't want any interference with the set-list. But in the second encore number to the last, I could have you as a stage extra. After the song , you can propose. She gets emotional, yadda, yadda, yadda. After saying yes, she'll then sing the closing song dedicated probably to you…_That's brilliant! _It will make headlines everywhere, _**big news!**_ …Glad I thought of it."

"Great," Alto smiled, "what do I have to do?"

* * *

"You should, like, add more glitter on your skin. It will make your eyes pop." The blonde back-up dancer suggested to Alto, handing him her tube of glitter gel. They were somewhere backstage, preparing for the number before the big finale.

"C'mon, Alto_nia_!" Hearing this, Alto immediately wanted to slap himself. It was a crappy name, but it was the best he could think of when the other dancers bombarded him.

He twitched, unsure whether to accept the offered item, but was forced into his hand anyway without his say.

"You know, you're really pretty, but it would show even more if you smiled." She giggled. Alto could only groan inwardly, while forcing himself to do as she said…with much difficulty.

"By the way, don't you think that skirt is a little too long?" She pointed to Alto's silver pleated skirt, the same thing she wore, albeit his billowed a couple of inches below his knee.

"I-It's fine…" He answered in a rather strained—but still convincingly-female voice.

_I want to kill myself right now…_

"Two minutes until we go on stage!" Another fellow dancer announced, as the final verses of Sheryl's 'Northern Cross' could be heard.

"_Oh my gawd_, while waiting, lemme redo your blush, Alto_nia!_"

Alto could only hope his grimace looked like a smile.

* * *

Alto wanted to puke. He had effortlessly mastered the dance routine with the other girls a couple of days ahead, but doing it on stage with the seizure-inducing lights made his stomach flop. Sure, he had performed on stage before, but the lighting had been done as artfully as the dances, very much unlike this one.

_I think I'm gonna be sick…_Alto thought, as he did a synchronized turn. The other girls seemed to be immune to dancing under high temperatures enough to turn your skin into jerky, so it was no issue to them. Hell, they were even smiling!

"Everyone, go 'MOTTEKKE!'" Sheryl urged, and the audience followed their singer.

_Now's my chance! _

As the crowd went into a frenzy, the cross-dresser carefully slipped out to the stage exit, and extracted his male attire from a hidden duffel bag to quickly change.

* * *

"I'm glad that everyone could make it here," Sheryl uttered in between deep breaths, her skin glistening with perspiration. "It's always such a pleasure to know that every"—

Suddenly, horrified gasps and screams filled the stadium.

Sheryl staggered back in confusion.

"Huh—what's going—_Alto?_" She had spun around to see Alto, with a rather unreadable expression—_and was that glitter_?—on his face. His hand was also reaching for something inside his trench coat.

"Alto, what are you doing here?"

"Sheryl," he spoke with a caress in his voice, "I"—

"_**GET DOWN!**_"

A dozen security guards came down on Alto before he could finish his sentence.

* * *

There was an uproar, as security carried off the suspicious man. What made things even crazier was how Sheryl Nome was running after them, looking angry and concerned.

Elmo could only shake his head at his _**big**_ error.

"_Yeah_…I guess I **should** have informed security."


End file.
